Italy, France and Spain seek EU help over migrants

THE leaders of Italy, France and Spain have sent a letter to the EU, urging the bloc to approve measures to help them cope with the flood of illegal migrants from Africa.

EU justice and interior ministers differed over how to tackle the problem during two-day talks last week in Tampere, Finland, meant to boost efforts to achieve a common immigration and asylum policy by 2010.

Premier Romano Prodi, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and French President Jacques Chirac proposed organising a conference in Libya between the EU and the African Union and asked for additional financing, Mr Prodi’s office said in a statement.